Top teams and newly promoted sides made statements in a wild week of action
Sep 15, 2026
at
8:22 pm ET
•
3 min read
Barclays Women’s Super League is officially underway, and the 2026-27 season is already full of breakout performances. There’s a whole season ahead for any shocking results or underdog stories, so that means it’s time to roll out the power rankings.
After each matchweek, teams will be ranked based on overall performances or lackluster efforts. Perhaps Chelsea FC are exactly who we thought they were, a team more than capable of dropping a five-piece on opposition, and in Manchester United’s case, maybe they have a much bigger gap between them and contenders than ever before.
The latest rankings offer a chance to comment on results, breakout appearances, and questions heading into matchweek three. Make sure to check back as the season progresses and keep up with all the matches across CBS Sports platforms. If you want to keep up with all the changes, be sure to check out my previous power rankings .
CBS Sports is the home of the Barclays Women’s Super League, and fans can watch all the latest games. Paramount+ will live stream all 183 matches each season, the most matches ever made available in the competition’s newly expanded format. CBS Sports Network will additionally air one match per week, with select fixtures also broadcast on CBS Sports Golazo Network. Now onto the latest rankings:
1.
Manchester City (–)
As if Manchester City didn’t already look like an unstoppable defending champion, the attacking duo of Mary Fowler and Khadija “Bunny” Shaw are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. 2. Chelsea FC (+1)
Lucy Bronze is an absolute menace in case you didn’t get the memo. A huge bounce-back performance engineered by the veteran, who led the team in touches (120) and got on the scoreboard in the blowout win. 3. Arsenal (-1)
More Read
Gunners manager Renee Slegers said it best: “A point is not enough for us,” following a scoreless fixture at Emirates Stadium.
She’s right, given Arsenal’s 30 shots and an abysmal three attempts on target despite the flurry in front of goal.
4. Tottenham (+1)
You’ve got to create even if you don’t get the credit for it, and thankfully Spurs have Signe Gaupset to do that right now. Put in the effort on and off the ball, and it’ll be the kind of play the squad needs to keep up during a long season.
5. Liverpool (+2)
Fuka Nagano might be in the early running for most underrated player with Liverpool this season. Clever on the ball and with vision to survey sequences one or two actions ahead, with the ability to generate and disrupt attacks.
6.
London City Lionesses (-2)
Danielle Van de Donk has quickly become the most important player on a roster full of stars. Maybe London City is under too much pressure to overachieve this early in the season, but no, not really. You can’t have this much talent on the roster and let opposing sides outperform you. 7.
Everton (+2)
Notching your first win of the season without registering a single shot on goal? Now that’s what I call soccer. Takes a special, or weird, kind of moment, and Holly McNamara’s forced own goal generated just that. 8. Manchester United (-2)
There are tough losses and outright bad losses, and Manchester United will have to make some adjustments quickly to recover from the downward roller coaster they’re on to start the season. 9.
Brighton & Hove Albion (-1)
Looking forward to seeing more good things from Kiko Seike for Brighton, but the group will need to be better about managing games against newly promoted sides. 10. Crystal Palace (+1)
Who doesn’t love an underdog that punches above their weight? Crystal Palace is doing exactly that to start the season, and even when they’re not threatening in front of goal, they’re threatening in position and already a pest of a squad.
11. West Ham United (+1)
Momentum and the end of tough results are important, and Viviane Asseyi turned that into a game-winning goal. A solid performance for manager Rita Guarino and the squad to put last week behind them.
12. Aston Villa (-2)
Power rankings are about shifts, and Aston Villa is a clear example of how quickly the highs and lows come at you. Amalie Vangsgaard provided an honorable effort over the weekend, but it’ll just get more difficult from here. 13. Birmingham City (–)
Another weekend where Oceane Hurtre is showcasing her attacking talents in the league, but it’s also another rude welcome to the league. No clearer example of how quickly a lead can evaporate in the big leagues when you’re initially up two goals but can’t close it out in stoppage time. 14.
Charlton Athletic (–)
If you can’t score goals, why not get out there and collect some red cards? Congrats to Charlton Athletic on losing not one, but two players for next week.
